256 



5.3.4 FORUM 4: DedsionmUdng by a Federal Consultation Forum + a complete public 

 involvement program. 



One of the advantages of FORUM 4 is that it can, like FORUM I, be implemented 

 without Congressional Authorization or Federal Advisory Committee Act 

 authorization. It could result in somewhat reduced costs to participate if it results in a 

 joint SOR/ESA decisionmaking process, rather than two separate processes. There will 

 be costs associated with the initial negotiations between the agencies to develop 

 agreement on the consultation process between them, although these would be 

 relatively modest compared to the start-up costs of a new entity. Trust and credibility 

 might be increased somewhat over the existing situation, and over FORUM 1, because 

 the ESA agencies would be at the table v^dth the SOR agencies. The downside could be 

 difficulties between the five agencies in arriving at a decision, although the potential for 

 that problem already exists. 



5.33 FORUM 5: Decisionmaking by a New Entity + a complete public involvement 

 program. 



Because this new entity would be created specifically to ensure representation of all the 

 interests, it would conceivably have the highest credibility (trust, equitable treatment, 

 reduction of legal /political challenges) of all the alternatives. However it would require 

 Congressional authorization, and it would create the highest costs to operate because it 

 would require creating a permanent new entity. 



Fmal Draft - September 15, 1993 87 



